Something in his expression settles slightly, as if bracing against the inquiry.

There are two answers to the question. Ellis could simply opt for the one closest at hand: he is well in this moment, healthy and out of danger of immediate injury. But if Wysteria is asking, it is because she has discerned some wrinkle.

But this knowledge doesn't guide Ellis in how to navigate it.

"Do I seem unwell?" he asks finally, with the air of a man fumbling in the dark, seeking some touchstone to guide himself forward.